The iconic skyline of New York City is once again in bloom, as world-renowned architects put their stamp on an exclusive group of ultraluxury towers. Five-star hotel-style amenities, jaw-dropping views, and record-shattering prices are giving these glamourous newcomers city-wide buzz. But they’re not just “trophy towers”: some, like JDS Development Group’s new project The Fitzroy, with just 14 residences (starting at $5.5 million), offer a tip of the hat to Manhattan’s great art deco heritage. The Fitzroy stands apart from its glass-and-steel neighbors with a deep green terra-cotta tile exterior, rich copper windows, and stylish chevron-patterned floors in every residence, among other thoughtful design choices. It all adds up to a contemporary twist on Jazz Age chic in the heart of Chelsea.

The elegant new Baltic, an 11-story luxury Park Slope condominium building with 44 residences is the latest project JDS Development, and it has brought a cosmopolitan sensibility to the leafy streets of this historic Brooklyn neighborhood. Baltic is perched close to numerous Brooklyn attractions, including the Park Slope Co-Op, the Barclays Center, and Prospect Park. It stands out to an extent, and that’s by design: Architect Brian McFarland of Stantec Architecture (formerly VOA) points out that the long, gray bricks used to clad the exterior were selected to create a visual break from the warm-hued sandstone that’s so ubiquitous in Park Slope. Inside, the subtle glimmer of granite, quartz, and labradorite glint from kitchen and bathroom counters, and deep brown oak is used throughout. Baltic’s exterior spaces are equally well-considered. The two-level ground floor garden and the roof deck are both by landscape designer Harrison Green, who is currently at work on a project for the Museum of Modern Art. And unlike most of Park Slope’s brownstones, Baltic offers amenities including a 24-hour doorman and a fitness center.

Developers and designers in New York City are turning their attention to metals—not just the kind used for structural support, but the gleaming finishes of brass and bronze, which can lend a touch of glamour to interior details. And there’s a new focus for this trend: vent hoods. Once considered a practical aspect of kitchen design that was best covered up, designers have chosen to enliven the design of range hoods, making them stylish centerpieces. At The Fitzroy in Chelsea, it’s all about copper. The latest residential project in neighborhood from JDS Development has luxurious interiors by Roman and Williams, which echo the building’s striking Art Deco-style facade. On the exterior, green terra cotta tiles complement large, copper-framed windows. Inside, the metal range goods have been crafted from the same metal, lending the kitchen a warm and classic aesthetic.

Contemporary art isn’t just for museums and galleries anymore: at a number of New York luxury residential buildings, developers have commissioned artists to create site-specific works that are well worth a visit. At Baltic in Parks Slope, ​ Brooklyn, JDS Development Group invited artist Anna Karlin to create a custom walnut, brick, and bronze sculpture that highlights some of the materials that were used to construct the building itself.

JDS Development Group has revealed the first finished residence at its luxury Park Slope condo Baltic, which sits at the corner of Baltic Street and Fourth Avenue. The two-bedroom, two-bath apartment has 10-foot-high ceilings, polished nickel hardware, and custom oak floors. The kitchens at Baltic are by the British company Brookmans, part of the Smallbone of Devizes family,​ which is a first for a project in the United States. The 11-story building houses 44 residences, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms.

JDS Development Group’s 10-story luxury condo building The Fitzroy has been completed up to its 6th floor. The tower, which has interiors by Roman and Williams, sits adjacent to the High Line Park in Chelsea. This eye-catching building, which sports a vivid green terra-cotta facade and large, copper-clad oak windows, was inspired by the great art deco skyscrapers of New York City in the 1920s and ‘30s. When complete, it will house just 14 luxury residences, ranging from 2 to 5 bedrooms.

Luxury residences in New York City, competing for renters at the top of the market, are increasingly offering amenities of a virtual sort: apps. Residents of some high-end buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn can send messages to their doorman, book a fitness class, set up pet care services, and more, all from their smartphone. JDS Development is one of the top real estate developers in New York City that has made apps a seamless part of their residents’ experiences,​ including at the American Copper Buildings,​ and they’re witnessing robust engagement.

The use of “other people’s money”—equity that comes from someone other than a project’s developer—is on the decline, thanks in part to increased caution in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, but capital is still flowing into the United States from all corners of the world. According to JDS Development Group’s Michael Stern, the activity level of investors from different countries, particularly Russia, China, and South America, ebbs and flows. “There’s always a country of the moment,” he said. “There always seems to be an alternative.” Stern is also optimistic that land sales are going to increase, noting that the recent lack of land sales has made an oversupply of new condos less likely.

The southern boundary of Central Park—otherwise known as “Billionaires’ Row”—is preparing for the completion of several high-profile luxury condo residences, including JDS Development’s 111 West 57th Street. Built adjacent to the landmarked Steinway Building, 111 West 57th is ​one of the most anticipated because of its magnificent heights. The SHoP Architects-designed tower is 82 stories tall, and it is the world’s ​slenderest h​igh-rise. Its exterior is sheathed in a luxurious terra-cotta and glass-curtain wall with bronze-filigree elements. 111 West 57th houses 46 full-floor and duplex residences with ceiling heights ​up to 14 feet ​and spectacular views of Central Park. Apartments range from $14 million to nearly $100 million.

Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel has designed the new Miami Beach luxury condos at Monad Terrace to be sustainable, contextual, and one-of-a-kind. “Every façade is unique, corresponding to a different sun exposure,” Nouvel says: “inside, each apartment has its own strategy and a singular blueprint.” This sensitivity to the natural world extends to the 14-story building’s innovative exterior, which surrounds a lagoon and has a hanging screen lush with vegetation on one side. According to Michael Stern and Simon Koster of JDS Development Group, who built Monad Terrace, this idiosyncrasy and imagination is precisely what makes Nouvel such a rare talent. “With him, no two buildings are ever the same,” says Koster. Monad Terrace was built with climate change in mind, and its resilient design means that it sits at the new, revised flood elevation of Miami. Nouvel’s approach is to combine aesthetic pleasure with practical problem solving, and responding to what he calls the genius loci, or “the spirit of the place.”